Home improvement advice from a home improvement guru:
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:43 pmHome improvement advice from a home improvement guru: Mike Holmes
Montreal Gazette recently featured some advice from Mike Holmes, a Canadian residential home improvement contractor who is also known for his television series Holmes Inspection. In this series, homeowners ask him to inspect homes they’ve recently purchased or are thinking about purchasing to make sure everything is ship-shape and Bristol fashion. And more often than not, it turns out there is far more wrong with the home than they thought. (I imagine he inspects homes that don’t have anything wrong with them, too, but where’s the fun in televising those types of inspections? Hence, the ones that make it on air on the ones where previous home inspectors made egregious oversights.)
With these credentials, his advice should be heard with all the weight his knowledge and experience have lent him over the years.
Get 10 to 20 references
First, he explained that a lot of the success of a home renovation rides on the qualifications of your contractor. He said, “You need to do your own research. Don’t rely on the advice of friends and family alone.” Contacting references can be an important part of this process. Holmes suggested homeowners “get at least 10 to 20 references for any contractor you’re thinking of hiring . . . and go see their work and speak to the homeowners.”
Check old and current job sites
In this digital age, references can be faked and images photo-shopped, which is why it’s so important that you see and hear firsthand accounts of the contractor’s work. Holmes also said you should look at work the company did in the past. These projects from five or 10 years ago “are the jobs that will tell you the durability of their work.” Projects in progress can offer insights, too, so Holmes said you should check them out “both during and after hours, so you get a real understanding of how work is carried out, how orderly the job site is, and how well it’s cleaned up.”
Keep constant vigilance
Once remodeling begins, keep a close eye on the contractors and their workers. You don’t want to shell out cash for hours they didn’t really work, and you’ll want to be sure the project is completed in a timely fashion. Thus, Holmes suggested, “Know the work schedule. That includes the daily work hours. If your contractor says they work from 9 to 4, it’s easy to keep track.” If you notice a lack of work being done or an absence of workers, “Contact your contractor immediately and ask why. These could be the first sings that your job is falling off the rails.”
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Source:
montrealgazette.com/homes/Mike+Holmes+tips+planning+reno+2014/9337743/story.html
Montreal Gazette recently featured some advice from Mike Holmes, a Canadian residential home improvement contractor who is also known for his television series Holmes Inspection. In this series, homeowners ask him to inspect homes they’ve recently purchased or are thinking about purchasing to make sure everything is ship-shape and Bristol fashion. And more often than not, it turns out there is far more wrong with the home than they thought. (I imagine he inspects homes that don’t have anything wrong with them, too, but where’s the fun in televising those types of inspections? Hence, the ones that make it on air on the ones where previous home inspectors made egregious oversights.)
With these credentials, his advice should be heard with all the weight his knowledge and experience have lent him over the years.
Get 10 to 20 references
First, he explained that a lot of the success of a home renovation rides on the qualifications of your contractor. He said, “You need to do your own research. Don’t rely on the advice of friends and family alone.” Contacting references can be an important part of this process. Holmes suggested homeowners “get at least 10 to 20 references for any contractor you’re thinking of hiring . . . and go see their work and speak to the homeowners.”
Check old and current job sites
In this digital age, references can be faked and images photo-shopped, which is why it’s so important that you see and hear firsthand accounts of the contractor’s work. Holmes also said you should look at work the company did in the past. These projects from five or 10 years ago “are the jobs that will tell you the durability of their work.” Projects in progress can offer insights, too, so Holmes said you should check them out “both during and after hours, so you get a real understanding of how work is carried out, how orderly the job site is, and how well it’s cleaned up.”
Keep constant vigilance
Once remodeling begins, keep a close eye on the contractors and their workers. You don’t want to shell out cash for hours they didn’t really work, and you’ll want to be sure the project is completed in a timely fashion. Thus, Holmes suggested, “Know the work schedule. That includes the daily work hours. If your contractor says they work from 9 to 4, it’s easy to keep track.” If you notice a lack of work being done or an absence of workers, “Contact your contractor immediately and ask why. These could be the first sings that your job is falling off the rails.”
Interior Decorating and Remodeling News Brought to
You by BaseBoardHeaterGuru.com
Source:
montrealgazette.com/homes/Mike+Holmes+tips+planning+reno+2014/9337743/story.html
